NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known as the Final Four in its final rounds. The tournament was first referred to as the Frozen Four in 1999. The NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Championship is a single elimination competition that has determined the collegiate national champion since the inaugural 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament. The tournament features 16 teams representing all six Division I conferences in the nation. The Championship Committee seeds the entire field from 1 to 16 within four regionals of 4 teams. The winners of the six Division I conference championships receive automatic bids to participate in the NCAA Championship. The tournament begins with initial games played at four regional sites culminating with the semi-finals and finals played at a single site. In setting up the tournament, the Championship Committee seeks to ensure "competitive equity, financial success and likelihood of playoff-type atmosphere at each regional site." A team serving as the host of a regional is placed within that regional. The top four teams are assigned overall seeds and placed within the bracket such that the national semifinals will feature the No. 1 seed versus the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed versus the No. 3 seed should the top four teams win their respective regional finals. Number 1 seeds are also placed as close to their home site as possible, with the No. 1 seed receiving first preference. Conference matchups are avoided in the first round; should five or more teams from one conference make the tournament, this guideline may be disregarded in favor of preserving the bracket's integrity. The NCAA started a Women's Frozen Four beginning with the 2000-01 season. The Hobey Baker Award ceremony, Hockey Humanitarian Award ceremony, and USCHO.com Town Hall Meeting take place annually during Frozen Four weekend. Division I Championship game results Rankings by most championships Teams are listed first in order of championships won, and then by most recent championship. Rankings by state The following list is of championships won ranked by state. Tournament format history ;1948–1976 : 4 teams (1 game series) ;1977–1980 : 5-6 teams (1 game series) ;1981–1987 : 8 teams (2 game, total goals first round at higher seed) ;1988 : 12 teams (2 game, total goals first two rounds at higher seed) ;1989–1991 : 12 teams (best of 3 games first two rounds series at higher seed) ;1992–2002 : 12 teams (divided up into 2 regionals, East Regional and West Regional; 6 Teams each) ;2003–present : 16 teams (divided up into 4 regionals: Northeast, East, Midwest and West Regionals: 4 Teams each) Division II The Division II Championship was suspended following 1999, due to a lack of sponsoring schools. Most of the schools in Division II hockey became members of newly formed hockey conferences such as College Hockey America. The Northeast Ten Conference is the last remaining Division II conference that sponsors ice hockey. Championship game results Division III Championship game results #- Participation in the tournament vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. References Category:NCAA